Mr. Speaker, the fact is that oil sands development generates over 500,000 jobs and the Keystone project will generate over 140,000 jobs across Canada.

It is also interesting to note how the NDP does not really understand that there is no refinery capacity in Alberta. There is in Texas. It would cost over $16 billion to create refineries, rendering it uneconomical.

Ed FastConservativeMinister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway

Mr. Speaker, it was actually the Liberal Party that slept through 13 long years on the trade file.

It was the WTO that recently pointed out that Canada's considerably expanded free trade agreement agenda marks a departure with its past practice. What practice are we referring to? It is the practice of the previous Liberal government.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government falls short every time it is faced with American protectionism. When the United States announced its Buy American initiative in 2009, it took the Conservatives seven months to react. According to the WTO, country-of-origin labelling violates trade laws. Nevertheless, the government continues to insist that the United States is negotiating in good faith.

When will the Conservatives realize that they have to fight American protectionism, not excuse it?

Ed FastConservativeMinister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway

Mr. Speaker, we have stated time and again that trade is critical to Canada's long-term prosperity. We have been working very hard to impress upon our American neighbours that protectionism hurts not only Canadians, but it hurts Americans. It takes away jobs and it takes away the robustness of global trade.

We will continue to stand up for hard-working Canadians and businesses. Why will the Liberal Party not do so?

Mr. Speaker, this government's research and development policy is pathetic, and a recent report has confirmed that. Canada ranks last among industrialized countries in terms of direct funding for research. It ranks second-last in terms of patent development and second-last in terms of the number of PhD graduates. What a failure.

Will this government review its research and development policies to create the jobs that our economy and Canadian families so desperately need?

Gary GoodyearConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of that question. In fact, no government in the history of our country has put so much investment into science and technology. In fact, the brain drain that we knew about years and years ago under the Liberals has been reversed under this government.

We now have more fellowships, more internships, more Canada excellence research chairs and more Canada research chairs. We have funding for buildings and equipment.

On this side of the House, we believe in innovation, but let us see the record on the other side. We see that direct public investment in R & D is in last place in the industrialized world. Patent development is second to last. PhD graduates are second to last. That is the record of the government. It is clear that the government does not have a plan.

When will the government stop endangering our economy and start investing in research and development to create jobs here in Canada for Canadian families?

Gary GoodyearConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, first, productivity and innovation have been declining for decades, which is exactly why the Prime Minister came forward with the science and tech strategy in 2007. Under that strategy, we have invested historic amounts of funding for our universities and incentives for our businesses.

It is true that businesses are not doing enough, which is exactly why, if the member were paying attention, we launched a panel review into the R and D sectors and our platform of programs. That panel will report in a couple of weeks. The hon. member should stay tuned.

Dean Del MastroConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, this type of behaviour on behalf of the NDP is entirely unacceptable. The Elections Canada Act clearly indicates that corporate and union donations are not allowed. Political parties are required to raise money through donations from ordinary everyday Canadians. Elections Canada has been asked to investigate these sponsorships.

The NDP and its union friends do not need to wait for that. They can come clean with Canadians today. We do not need to go to the ethics committee. They could come clean and tell Canadians today but they are not doing it.

Mr. Speaker, in February, the Conservatives gave a $75,000 accessibility grant to the Ontario Cornerstone Leadership Corporation, a front for the Ontario NDP, to install a wheelchair lift in its inaccessible party headquarters. The rules required that construction was to begin six months ago and be completed two months ago. It is obvious to anyone who walks up to the building that the project has not even started.

Where did the money go? If the money was improperly spent, will the government demand that the money be returned to the taxpayer?

Kellie LeitchConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, no government has done more for Canadians with disabilities than our Conservative government. Their full participation in our economy and communities is vital to our country's success. Supporting Canadians of all abilities through the economic action plan helped create opportunities for people who otherwise would not have had them.

We are very proud of this program and, to date, we have supported over 600 worthy community-based projects across the country. Budget 2010 provided an additional $45 million over the next three years and will expand this program for mid-sized projects. We are doing what we need to do for Canadians with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, Canadian university graduates are being shut out of the job market at an alarming rate. A whopping one in five grads wind up with jobs on the low end of the income scale. That is more than any other OECD country. Instead of helping strengthen our economy with their degrees and skills, they are being wasted.

When will the government stop the inaction and come forward with a real jobs plan with real opportunities for Canadian graduates?

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan to support jobs and growth. It is the second phase of the economic action plan. It includes the small business tax credit, which is very important, and I hope members opposite will choose to support that.

The NDP and the Liberals voted against $1 billion in federal funding to the provinces and territories for infrastructure in 2011-12. The opposition also voted against the accelerated capital cost allowance, which would have continued over the past two years. I hope the voting behaviour will match the rhetoric.

Mr. Speaker, recent statistics have shown us that the number of people smoking in this country is at historic lows. Our government takes the health and safety of Canadians seriously and we will continue our diligent work, not only to encourage more and more people to quite smoking but also to discourage young Canadians from starting this bad habit in the first place.

Today, the Minister of Health announced tough new warnings for tobacco products. Would the parliamentary secretary please provide the details of this announcement to the House?

Colin CarrieConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brampton—Springdale for all his good work on the health committee.

Canadians gave our government a strong mandate to continue efforts aimed at keeping our citizens healthy. Today we announced new warnings for tobacco products. The 16 new warnings cover 75% of the front and back of cigarette and little cigar packages, with eight health information messages and four toxic emission statements on the sides of the packages.

Our government wants to sensitize Canadians to the health challenges posed by tobacco products and we will continue to act in order to protect Canadians' health and keep our children safe.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's Asia-Pacific gateway should be about more than the Conservative strategy of just shipping our raw materials overseas.

Last week, the president of the Asia Pacific Foundation advised the government that to be successful in expanding our trade, Canada needed to invest in human capacity building. This means investing in better language education, better training in cross-cultural communication and more support for international business education.

Why are the Conservatives just shipping away Canadian raw materials and jobs instead of making the smart investments in Canadians that will build a foundation for expanding our trade with the region?

Gerald KeddyConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade

Mr. Speaker, the Asia-Pacific gateway is critical to Canada's long-term economic prosperity. As the demand for Canadian exports to the Asia-Pacific markets continue to grow so do the opportunities for Canadian workers and companies. We are well-positioned to take advantage of the Asia-Pacific markets so we can create economic growth, more jobs and financial security for all Canadians.

On top of recent cuts at Environment Canada, we are aware now that the whole glaciology group at Natural Resources Canada is being disbanded and dismantled. Eighty thousand years worth of climate record in the ice cores may disappear from Canadian possession.

I would like to ask the minister if he would please reconsider and ensure that this essential science is protected and that Canada continues its world record-breaking work in this key and core area of science?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is misinformed. There will be no destruction of the ice cores. In fact, having provided the useful scientific input at NRCan, they will be transferred to universities where the research can continue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The other day in the House of Commons I raised a question and stated, “In Alberta, Jonathan Denis, the housing minister, now says that Alberta will pick up the slack where the federal government has failed”.

I wish to correct the record. I read the story in a media release and I verified it. He did not actually say that he would “pick up the slack”. He did say, “It didn’t sit well with me that someone who’s put their life on the line for our country was homeless”, noting no one should be homeless, but this particular case hit him hard. Further on in the media release he stated that he wanted to assist those homeless veterans.

Even though I personally believe that issues involving veterans are federal issues, I am proud to say that the Alberta government and other governments are doing something to help these veterans.

I did quote Mr. Denis incorrectly and I wish to apologize to him and correct the record.